Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

These troubles and anxieties seemed to have two common sources—a lack of security and feelings of inferiority.

So, what exactly should she say to her daughter, and what could she do, to make her daughter feel better right now?

Once she had figured this out, she was already aware of what she had to do. If she had to sum it up in one phrase: to patch the gaps and mend the oversight.

"Bai Mei, there is no need to be so anxious."

Therefore, after organizing her thoughts, Emerald Sparrow took the initiative to speak, "I\'ve always told you not to aim too high, this attitude should not only be reflected in honor and strength but should also be applied to the meaning of life."

"Feel it carefully, do I really exist here?"

Reaching out her other hand, Emerald Sparrow gently grasped Lin Xiaolu\'s hands with both of hers, "Can you feel it? I am standing right here, in front of you, holding your hand."

Lin Xiaolu looked down, then nodded blankly.

"Then you should understand, this is your true feeling, this is the reality you have."

Emerald Sparrow locked eyes with her, earnest in tone, "It\'s not that you are facing hatred, enemies, and unknown dangers all by yourself. The reality is that I am here, I will guide you, and I will protect you, so nothing will happen to you."

"If you are feeling lost right now, then don\'t rush, take your time to think, slowly make your decisions."

"If you are afraid of the fighting, I will deal with the enemies; if you don\'t want to seek revenge, I will take revenge for Sakura; all the things that you can\'t figure out can be thought through slowly, because you are still a child, you have plenty of time to grow."

"Even if you say that you no longer want to be a Magical Girl, that you want to stay away from dangerous battles, to be an ordinary girl, it\'s also..."

At this, she suddenly stopped.

It seemed that she momentarily recalled something, Emerald Sparrow pursed her lips slightly, vaguely struggling, but that expression was ephemeral, her cool gaze softening into a kinder look when she turned to Lin Xiaolu, "That would be okay too, because, after all, you know, I am a \'big shot\', and I can make that happen too."

What she didn\'t mention was that, under normal circumstances, a Magical Girl wanting to become ordinary again only had two paths: to report back to the royal court and to retire honorably. The former procedure was almost a formality, scarcely anyone ever went through with it.

Lin Xiaolu would not know this, nor was there a need for her to know.

She remained looking dazed, but after clearly hearing what Emerald Sparrow said, she slowly shook her head:

"I won\'t do that, I want to continue being a Magical Girl."

"Is that your true heart\'s desire?" Emerald Sparrow asked softly beside her.

"...Yeah."

Her unfocused gaze becoming sharper, Lin Xiaolu nodded slightly more firmly, "This is the one thing I am certain of, because even now, being a Magical Girl is still my dream."

Even with a multitude of thoughts swirling in her mind, her confusion and bewilderment have always been about "how to be a good Magical Girl," not "whether to continue being a Magical Girl."

And about Emerald Sparrow saying she would be with her...

"But Emerald Sparrow, you are going to leave, right?"

At this thought, she brought up another line of thinking, "You are a big shot from the Magic Kingdom, and your stay in Fangting City is only temporary; even if you stay here longer, one day, you will leave, right?"

"When that day comes, after you\'ve left... is it that when I see you again, I\'ll have to look at you from afar like looking at the mayor or some official?"

Emerald Sparrow was somewhat silent.

She tried to let go of her hand but found that at some point, it had been clasped back by Lin Xiaolu and she couldn\'t pull it away.

Without trying to forcibly break free, they held this impasse for a moment, and then she pretended to nod calmly, "Yes, I will leave, and I cannot lie to you about this."

But the reason was different from what Lin Xiaolu thought, it wasn\'t because she was an "Inspection Envoy."

"So, it will happen after all."

Hearing her answer, Lin Xiaolu\'s expression turned a little despondent, "That means, days like this summer won\'t last much longer, right?"

The first thought that surged in her heart was reluctance, but soon, she managed to convince herself.

After all, the months since she met Emerald Sparrow felt like a beautiful dream to her: becoming a Magical Girl, making new friends, learning her mother\'s true identity, improving her relationship with her father significantly, and even making progress in her school studies with Emerald Sparrow\'s guidance.

Even now, with new worries, it was not Emerald Sparrow\'s fault; it was just her own tendency to overthink.

She told herself she had already gained so much from the other\'s arrival and should not continue to be greedy.

——"However, the timing of departure is primarily up to you."

What Lin Xiaolu did not expect was that beneath the calm tone, Emerald Sparrow\'s words suddenly took a sharp turn: "I will wait until you, you and Xia Liang, even your entire team, have grown up and can stand on your own before I leave."

These words left Lin Xiaolu momentarily frozen on the spot.

Seizing the moment, Emerald Sparrow quietly released her hand: "Does that give you a little more sense of security?"

"But, but for someone like me to become a powerful Magical Girl, it might not happen until I retire..." Still shocked by Emerald Sparrow\'s words, Lin Xiaolu spoke without thinking.

"Then I\'ll just wait till you retire," Emerald Sparrow said lightly, turning her face aside.

Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu felt her heart skip a beat.

An indescribable emotion, perhaps best named as a startled sense of cherished happiness, surged through her in an instant.

She couldn\'t help but clutch her chest and stammer, "That would mean ten years..."

"Yes, ten years," Emerald Sparrow said, still with an indifferent expression.

This made Lin Xiaolu even more incredulous: "But that makes no sense, why would you go to such lengths for someone like me? Even if you were close to my mother, I still don\'t think I\'m worth it."

"Who said you weren\'t worth it?"

With a hand on her hip, Emerald Sparrow looked askance at Lin Xiaolu: "If you\'ve already given up on expecting more from yourself, if you no longer recognize your own potential, how can you ever become the person you want to be?"

"But can I really make it that far?" Lin Xiaolu still lacked confidence.

"Hasn\'t Mo said it? You\'re a genius."

"It said itself that it was just fooling me on the spur of the moment..."

"It also said that sometimes, fairies themselves can\'t figure out the truth from the lies."

Gazing at the distant river, Emerald Sparrow said calmly, "The reason I choose to stay in Fangting City, as you guessed, is indeed because of your mother, but also because this is the city I once protected. I don\'t want it to be destroyed by the Remnant Beasts."

"However, I can no longer stay here forever. After Sakura\'s demise, we of the older generation must pass the baton to the next. I have seen you and Xia Liang here, and I have come to understand you, so I believe in the potential of you, the next generation."

"Perhaps Mo spoke on a whim, perhaps you don\'t believe in yourself, but I do believe that there will come a day when you will be a Magical Girl who can protect everyone."

"The so-called ten years is just a bet and a bottom line. In my view, you\'ll definitely get stronger and won\'t need nearly that long."

Emerald Sparrow\'s decisiveness finally lifted much of the gloom from Lin Xiaolu\'s heart.

Her hand moved from her chest to form a fist, and a new light sparked in her eyes: "Emerald Sparrow, do you believe in me?"

"No matter how many times you ask, the answer will be the same, I believe," Emerald Sparrow said as she stepped back to calmly watch her daughter: "So don\'t sell yourself short, lift up your head, you\'re no less than anyone else."

After speaking, she half-turned, ready to move on, and then checked with Lin Xiaolu: "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Lin Xiaolu looked at the petite figure in front of her, and the last traces of bewilderment in her eyes also faded away. Her previously gloomy expression brightened and even seemed gentler.

She shook her head, no longer speaking, and took small steps to catch up with Emerald Sparrow, walking alongside her.

The crisp sound of footsteps began to echo on the empty bridge once more, yet unlike the dull sound on the way there, the sound was now lively and in unison. Their steps moved slowly from the center of the bridge toward the opposite shore, crossing the river, traversing the long walkway, and finally, gradually fading into the unknown yonder on the other side.